Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

God was pleafed to give unto the Elect the promise of Chrift, the feed of the Woman, i as the means of calling them, and begetting in them Faith & Repentance: In this promise; the Gospel, as to the fubftance of it, was revealed, and was therein effectual for the converfion and Salvation of Sinners. da Rom. 8. 3. Gal. 3. 12. Gen. 3. 15 Gal. 4. 4,5. Rev. 13. 8 1 Cor. 1. 23, 24, 26 Jam. v. 18 Rom. 10. 8 ABS 11. 15, 181 Cor. 2. 2.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

II.

The promife of Christ, & Salvation by him is revealed only in and by the Word of God; neither do the Works of Creation or Providence, with the light of Nature, make dif covery of Christ, or of Grace by him, so much as in a general or obfcure way; much less that men deftitute of the Revelation of him by the Promife or Gofpel, fhould be enabled thereby to attain faving Faith or Repentance & Mat. 11. 27. 2 Tim. 1. 10 Rom. i. 19,20. i. Epb. 2. 12 Rom. 16. 25,26 Eph. 3 9's Cof 1. 21 Rom 10. 14, 15 Prov 29. 18

III.

The revelation of the Gospel unto finners made in diverfe times, & by fundry parts, with the addition of promifes and Precepts for the obedience required therein, as to the Nation s

and

and Perfons to whom it is granted, is meerly of the foveraign Will and good Pleasure of God, not being annexed by virtue of any promife to the due improvement of Mens natural abilities, by virtue of Common light received without it, which none ever did make, or can fo do: And therefore in all Ages the Preaching of the Gospel hath been granted unto Perfons and Nations, as to the extent or ftraightning of it, in great variety, according to the Counfel of the Will of God. Heb 1. 1,2 Deut. 7.7,8 Pfal. 147.19.20 Mat.20 43. & 11. 25, 26. John 1. 13 & 3. 6. Rom 9. 16 Phil 2. 13 John 15. 5 1 Cor 2. 14 Rom 8.7 k Amos 3.2 Mat 28, 19 & 21 43 Epb

I. II.

i

I V.

Although the Gofpel be the only outward means of revealing Christ and saving Grace, & is as fuch, abundantly fufficient thereunto; yet that men who are dead in trefpaffes, may be born again, quickned or regenerated, there is moreover neceffary an Effectual, Irrefiftable work of the Holy Ghoft upon the whole foul, for the producing in them a new fpiritual life, without which no other Means are fufficient for their Conversion unto God Epb.2.1,5 Tit3 5 John 16.7, to 12 Alts 16. 14. Epb.1.19, 1 Thef 5.23. John 3. 6. Gal 2. 8. 1 Cor. 2

[ocr errors][merged small]

TH

CHAP. XXI,

b

Of Chriftian Liberty, and Liberty of Confcience, THE Liberty which Chrift hath purchased for Believers under the Gofpel, confifts in their freedom from the guilt of fin,the condemning wrath of God, the Rigour and Curfe of the Law, and in their being delivered from this prefent evil World, Bondage to Satan, and dominion of fin, from the evil of afiliations, the fear and fling of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting Damoation, as alfo in their free access to God, and their yielding Obedience unto him, not out of flavish fear, but a child like love and Willing mind: All which were common alfo to Believers under the Law, for the fubitance of them, but under the New- Tellament the liberty of Chriftians is further inlarged in their freedom from the yoke of the Ceremonial Law, the whole legal adminiftration of the Covenant of Grace, to which the Jewith Church was fubjected, and in greater boldness of accefs to the Throne of Grace, and in fuller communications of the free fpirit of God, than Believers under the Law did ordinarily partake ot. i a Tit. 2. 14. 1 Thef. 1. 10 Gal 3. 13 b Gal. 1. 4. Col 1. 13. As 26. 18. Rom. 6.14 Rom 8.28. Pfal. 119 71. 1 Cor. 15 54,1057 Rom. 6. 1. & Rom. 5.132. d e Remt. 8. 14,15 Jobn

f

h

1 John 4. 18 Gal. 3. 13, 14 Gal. 4.1 to 7 & 5As 15. 10, 11 Heb. 4 14, 16 & 10 19, 10 221 John 7. 38, 39. 2 Cor. 13. 17,18

i

II.

n

God alone is Lord of the Confcience, * and hath left it free from the Doctrines and Commandments of Men, which are in any thing contrary to his Word or not contained in it, fo that to believe fuch Doctrines; or to obey fuch Commands out of Confcience, is to betray true Liberty of Confcience, a and the requiring of an implicit faith, and an abfolute and blind Obedience, is to deftroy Liberty of Confcience, and Reafon alío, ". Jam 4 12 Rom. 14. 4 As 4. 19 & 5. 29. 1 Cor. 7.23 Mat. 23. 8,9,10. 2 Cor. 1. 24. Mat. 15, 9 Col. 2. 10, 22, 23 Gal. 1. 10 & 2. 2, 4, 5 n 5. 1a Rom. 15. 11 & 14. 23 Ifa. 8. 20 Als 17. 11 John 4. 22 Hof. 5. 11 fer. 8. 9

نوع

[ocr errors]

n

f

They who upon pretence of Chriftian Liberty do practice any fin, or cherish any luft, as they do thereby pervert the main defign of the Grace of the Gofpel to their own deftruce tion; fo they wholly deftroy the end of Chriftian Liberty, which is that being delivered opt of the hands of our enemies, we might ferve the Lord without fear,, in Holiness and Righteup facfs

[ocr errors]

Leoufnefs before him all the days of our life Gal 5 13 1 Pet 2 16 2 Pet 2 19 John 8 34 Luke 1. 74, 75

CHAP. XXII.

Of Religious Worship, and of the Sabbath Day.

HE light of Nature fheweth that there is

TH

[ocr errors]

a God, who hath Lordship and Soveraignty over all, is Juft, Good, & doth Good unto all, and is therefore to be Feared, Loved, Praifed, called upon, truited in, and ferved with all the Heart and all the Soul, and with all the might: But the Acceptable way of Worshiping the true God is inftituted by himfelf, and fo limited by his own revealed will, that he inay not be Worshiped according to the Imaginations and devices of Men, or the fuggeftions of Satan under any visible reprefentations, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture • Rom 1 20 Alts 17 24 Pfal. 119. 64 Jer. 10. 7 Pfa. 31. 23. & 18. 3 Rom. 10. 12 Pfa. 62.8 Feb. 24. 14 Mark 12. 33 Deut. 12. 32 Mat. 15. 9. Alts 37.25 Mat. 4 9, 10 Deut. 4. 15, $0 20. Excd 20. 4, 5 Col. 2. 23

II.

Religious Worship is to be given to God the
Father,

« PoprzedniaDalej »